81-year-old Las Cruces man arrested in alleged hit-and-run of twin teen girls

Las Cruces Police have arrested an 81-year-old man who was allegedly the driver in a hit-and-run collision that injured twin teenage girls.

Rudalfo Villegas was arrested Thursday evening and charged with two counts of failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, two counts of failure to render aid, one count of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in injury, one count of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in great bodily injury and one count of failing to immediately provide notice of an accident.

Police say that the leaving the scene of an accident resulting in great bodily injury charge is a felony offense.

Villegas was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center and has already posted bond.

One of the girls was treated and released from Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces. Her twin sister was airlifted to University Medical Center of El Paso where she remains in critical condition.

The crash occurred shortly after 4 p.m. Dec. 15, on Picacho Avenue just west of Melendres Street.

Witnesses told police the girls were walking north, across Picacho Avenue, in the crosswalk near Lions Park.

Witnesses told police that most vehicles stopped for the girls but a white Ford pickup driven by Villegas and traveling westbound in the outside lane failed to yield for the teens.

Police say that Villegas failed to immediately stop after his vehicle struck the girls.

He allegedly drove a few hundred feet after striking the girls before briefly stopping, walking to where the girls lay on the ground, before returning to his truck and driving away.

Just moments after the crash was reported, Las Cruces Police located Villegas and his pickup a few blocks away and conducted a traffic stop.